RECOGNIZING SYMPTOMS OF A STROKE

Posted by Loren Penman on July 26, 2008 - 12:48pm
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Please have a look....you could save a life. 
   
STROKE: Remember the first three letters... S.T.R.

A friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word.

RECOGNIZING THE SYMPTOMS:

During a party, a female guest stumbled and took a little fall.  She assured everyone that she was fine and just had tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

Friends got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food.  While she appeared a bit shaken up, she went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Later that night, the woman's husband called to say that his wife had been taken to the hospital and had passed away.
 
She had suffered a stroke at the party.  Had her friends known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps she would be alive today.

Some don't die of strokes. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours, he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally.  He says the trick is getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and getting the patient medical attention immediately.

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms.

Remember these three letters: STR.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * --> SMILE.  Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * --> TALK.  Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (e.g., 'It is sunny out today.') -- listen for clarity/coherence.
R * --> RAISE.  Ask her or him to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If s/he has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call an ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is a "crooked" tongue.
Ask the person to 'stick' out her/his tongue.  If the tongue is 'crooked' (it goes to one side or the other), that may also be an indication of a stroke.

A prominent cardiologist says if everyone who reads this message shares it with 10 people, at least one life will be saved -- and it could be yours!